Mountain lion sneaks into California home and snatches pet dog

Police in Northern California said a mountain lion got into a home and grabbed a small dog from a bedroom where a small child was sleeping early Monday morning.

She then saw the shadow of an animal enter the room and snatch the dog.

Around 3 a.m., the woman said she woke up after the dog began to bark aggressively.

When deputies arrived to search the area, they identified large, wet paw prints that resembled a mountain lion at the entrance to the bedroom. Vickie Fought, a homeowner in Pescadero, says she and her 12-year-old daughter were sleeping in her bedroom with the back door open a crack when they were awoken by the barking of their small dog.

Following the incident, Fought said she's said she is going to take further measures to protect herself and her daughter.

Authorities called the incident "very rare". But Fought never expected a mountain lion to walk into their house. They immediately notified the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the detective said. He examined what appeared to be mountain lion tracks that were spotted just down the lane.

The Sheriff's Office release identified the animal as a mountain lion, but Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said at about 1:30 p.m. on Monday that a game warden was now at the scene and that the animal had not yet been identified.

Mountain lion sightings are not uncommon in San Mateo County where rural areas blend into neighborhoods.

"We don't know anything yet", Hughan said.

Meanwhile, Zuno said residents should take precautions and safeguard their homes.

Deputies are reminding residents to lock their home's windows and doors at night.

Mountain lions in the area typically tend to leave pets alone, preferring to hunt deer, Zuno said. The dog's carcass has not been found, but bloodstains were found near the door - the lone signs of an intruder, Fought told CBS.

"They're very easy to find, inexpensive, light and compact", Zuno said of the devices.